Do you shoot deer low expecting them to "dip"?

[Bowjangle]

How many of you shoot 8-12" low at deer expecting them to jump the string or also shoot left or right on a quartering deer,expecting them to spin right or left?  I never have, but have had a bunch of deer duck my arrow - under 20 yards -and I shoot only a 48-50 lb bow. One expert said he aimed low to allow for that and had great success and even would also aim farther left or right 8 inches or so, expecting the spin or the deer. How many of you do that and what is your success rate and experience -compared to just shooting at the right spot or shooting pretty low - say at the heart-so if he "squats" to take off- you've still got the top of his lungs? I haven't been able to bring my self to shoot lower than his heart - but decided to take a poll here and see if maybe I should do differently this year.
 My bows are never real loud. I've shot with self bows so quiet - and missed- that the deer didn't squat or even know I had shot. He jumped when my arrow hit the bush behind him but went back to eating.   Now I shoot a fiberglass bow usually longbow - and the best still make a little noise - and the deer  hear the slighted "whap" - so maybe how quiet your bow is isn't as big a deal as we think as they either duck in time or don't.
Having said that I've had longbows that "fluttered" like a quail or bird flying off and deer didn't seem to react much to that type noise.
 Plan B is to wait til they chomp down on an acorn or corn and let go. It works as they can't hear good when they are "crunching". I tried it and it works - but you can't rely on that very often.
 Do you change your tactic depending on how far away the deer is? Let me hear from you guys and lets see what different folks do and what works best!

[Boom Stick]

I know people do,  but until I get much more experience shooting at deer,  I couldn't bring myself to read its mind

[koger]

I have killed several deer with a bow,53, and missed twice that many due to not holding low. I always aim at the bottom third of the deers body for the last few years and collect more venison accordingly. I usually take angles into consdideration, aim at the opposite foreleg.

[String Cutter]

I hunt 90% on the ground..and I'm planning on shooting for the heart shot. If I miss low, she isn't wounded or not badly .. if I hit my mark, she's taken clean and if she ducks ,its still a good lung shot....I believe in always aiming low and for the other front leg if quartering away.

[Biggie Hoffman]

Nope. You have just as good a chance they won't move with a quiet stickbow and contrary to what many believe, you CAN shoot em too low.

[mcgroundstalker]

I've had deer "jump the string" at 8 and 10 yards. Happens when they are not relaxed or if your bow is loud when shot. Get your bow whisper quiet and hold off on shots when (they) are lookin' at you.

To "aim" where you THINK a deer will be when your arrow gets there is not a good idea. Learn all you can about reading a deers body language. Sometimes weather conditions will assist you in stayin' undetected as you shoot.

I get busted alot. Still lots of fun and worth the time out there. Best Of Luck To You!

... mike ...

[huey]

Speed of sound appox. 1125 fps speed of arrow 150 fps. It will take the arrow aprox. .4 seconds to travel 20 yards. Sound will be there in approx. .05 seconds. A diff. of .35 seconds. I have shot over, under, in front and looks like the arrow is already there before the animal moved. I just missed, shoot where I want to hit gets my vote.

[vtmtnman]

When you shoot 8" to the left or right on a quartering deer and it doesn't spin,then what?

Long tracking job.    

Queit you bow,pay attention to the deer and it's mood/body language.If the deer comes in skitish,a fly could just about run it off.

[String Cutter]

Biggie I agree that you can hit a deer to low. I cut one across the brisket one time that was just alittle up hill of me. Just knew it was a perfect heart shot  and had the blood trail to prove it...Until 200 yrds later...LOL
I know that deer servived. It was just a flesh wound. And I'm sure it healed up nicely.

[James Wrenn]

I always shoot for the heart.If they don't move fine.If they do drop a double lung is fine too.I never hold off the kill area.

[Bonebuster]

Ditto what James said.

Unless a deer is very close, when they are on red alert, it`s a good time to pass.

Relaxed deer a the best to shoot, and the best to eat.

[Don Stokes]

Dan Quillian told me he held for the angle of the front leg and the lower body line on very close deer; I can't bring myself to hold quite that low. I shoot for the heart, and hope for heart and/or lungs. A longer range (20 yds. plus) I shoot where I want to hit.

I would never consider holding left or right. Deer do tend to drop at the shot, but who knows where they go from there?

[longbowben]

No way.I shoot a quiet bow aim where i want to hit.

[Old York]

I'm with James & Don here, aim low, connect with heart or just above it, or lungs on the drop. I also aim straight up the front leg, no farther back! There's a great discusssion with photos about shot-placement over on BowSite.

IMHO, it's  not  just the bow noise, it's fletching and/or broadhead noise too. I've heard enough of it whilst standing behind scoring barricades and shooting archery golf to convince me.

We tend to miss high when we miss, so aiming low increases the chances of a decent hit. Good hunting to all.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Shoot at relaxed deer. Aim at the spot you want to hit.

[GG]

I aim at the bottom of their heart. If they're spooky I aim for the bottom of their chest line. It took a few misses just over their back to realize "aim lower dummy"  

[Paul WA]

I also aim for the heart, if they dip I get a double lunger..PR

[Chris O]

Great question! I was actually thinking about this just recently since I've only shot two deer. The second of these deer ducked as I shot and I just clipped the lower portion of his spine. He was walking and I stopped him so I think it may have been because he was alert.

I'll be watching this thread for more info from the experienced guys.

[ron w]

James wrenn said it well. take a heart shoot, if they duck its a lung hit, never shoot outside the boiler room....Also quartering away, don't let the angle get to extreme..

[George D. Stout]

NO!  Shoot at relaxed deer..aim to hit vitals.

However...I'm sure, in the near future, there will be a chart posted that shows degrees of drop by deer according to a "surprise quotient" and it will vary by deer weight, deer front of center, deer age, and amount of surprise that the deer is subjected to.

In addition, the chart will vary according to bow used, the FPS of said bow, type of silencers used on different types of strings, weight of arrow, FOC of arrow, and whether or not one used a recurve or longbow.

Stay tuned.